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Hair Loss Study Abstract: The effect of finasteride, a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, on scalp skin testosterone and dihydrotestosterone concentrations in patients with male pattern baldness.
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Title
The effect of finasteride, a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, on scalp skin testosterone and
dihydrotestosterone concentrations in patients with male pattern baldness.
Author
Dallob AL, Sadick NS, Unger W, Lipert S, Geissler LA, Gregoire SL, Nguyen HH, Moore EC,
Tanaka WK
Address
Merck Research Laboratories, Rahway, New Jersey 07065.
Source
J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 79: 3, 1994 Sep, 703-6
Abstract
The effects of the 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, finasteride, on scalp skin testosterone
(T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels were studied in patients with male pattern
baldness. In a double blind study, male patients undergoing hair transplantation were
treated with oral finasteride (5 mg/day) or placebo for 28 days. Scalp skin biopsies were
obtained before and after treatment for measurement of T and DHT by high pressure liquid
chromatography-RIA. In 10 male subjects studied at baseline, mean (+/- SEM) DHT levels
were significantly higher in bald (7.37 +/- 1.24 pmol/g) compared to hair-containing (4.20
+/- 0.65 pmol/g) scalp, whereas there was no difference in mean T levels at baseline. In
bald scalp from 8 patients treated with finasteride, the mean DHT concentration decreased
from 6.40 +/- 1.07 pmol/g at baseline to 3.62 +/- 0.38 pmol/g on day 28. Scalp T levels
increased in 6 of 8 subjects treated with finasteride. Finasteride decreased the mean
serum DHT concentration from 1.36 +/- 0.18 nmol/L (n = 8) at baseline to 0.46 +/- 0.10
nmol/L on day 28 and had no effect on serum T. There were no significant changes in scalp
or serum T or DHT in placebo-treated patients. In this study, male subjects treated with 5
mg/day finasteride for 4 weeks had significantly decreased concentrations of DHT in bald
scalp, resulting in a mean level similar to the baseline levels found in hair-containing
scalp.
Language of Publication
English
Unique Identifier
94358066
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